Bill Maher recently argued that Americans do not have deeply held beliefs. He argued that when Tesla started, his perception was that Conservatives hated electric cars. Then, they appeared to love them because of Elon Musk’s relationship with Trump. We will see if that changes now that Trump and Musk are on the outs. I get Maher’s point and frustration. People are often fickle in how they demonstrate their feelings and values. Feelings and values are two distinct different things. Feelings, by definition, are illogical, erratic, and often irrational.
Most people have solid value systems and core beliefs that support them. Those of us in the Christian faith know this all too well. The Bible tells us not to be guided by how we feel, as feelings can betray us. Proverbs 29:11 and Jeremiah 17:9 are perfect examples. As Conservatives, we often struggle to understand our liberal friends because of this. Liberals appear to be ruled by emotion and feelings, driven by compassion at any cost, even citing Jesus as an example. However, Jesus was not driven by his feelings, even though he was compassionate. Conservatives are often perceived as being driven by logic alone, which, in a liberal’s opinion, is a misguided approach. Neither perspective is entirely true, of course. It’s a trap we all fall into.
The most significant issue that Maher should address is what most Americans value and why. What do we, as a people, value the most? Too many Americans have been told it’s okay to be ruled by emotion and feelings. This is why we have become less of a Republic, as designed, and more of a democracy, which is nothing more than glorified mob rule. Do we value life? Hard to prove that by our laws and policies, and I am not just referring to the abortion issue. As a nation, we have chosen profits over well-being, convenience over life, safety over freedom, and comfort over health. Too many times, we have even chosen the rights of a few over the rights of many. This is very different from what the founding fathers meant by protecting the rights of the few.
In choosing short-term comfort and gains, we have sacrificed long-term gains. The above statement sums up our current issues with the Chinese. The Chinese take a very long-term approach to any opportunity or problem. Thinking 5-10-15 years out from the issue at hand. Americans have a “take a pill” mentality when solving problems. Too often, we treat the symptoms of the issue rather than the cause or root of that issue. If our feelings dictate how we approach problems, we will always take the easy way out. How many of you had the opportunity to get some form of exercise and choose something else?
Our feelings often betray our best interests. Reacting based on feelings differs from responding based on our gut, which is rooted in our principles. Our gut or conscience serves as the barometer for what we believe to be true, valuable, and ultimately, our understanding of right and wrong. Feelings are easy but messy, while conscience can be difficult yet clear. Maher is mistaken in claiming that we have no true principles. He suggests that the feelings driving our actions conflict with these principles. This is evident in the world around us: people who profess a desire for peace and serenity act out by committing violence and riots. Such actions are fueled by rage at what they perceive as violations of those principles.
Maher points out this disconnect: We lack the courage to say what we witness in ourselves or that others are inconsistent with our values. Unfortunately, we do not dare to tell the truth, especially from the pulpits of America. Too often, people vote based on how they feel at that moment, rather than considering what will be in their best interests in the long term.
Voting this way has damaged this country in many ways. The serious flaw in a true democracy is that at the highest level, it is governance by emotion, not principle.
“Democracy will soon degenerate into an anarchy, such an anarchy that every man will do what is right in his own eyes, and no man’s life or property or reputation or liberty will be secure, and every one of these will soon mold itself into a system of subordination of all the moral virtues, and intellectual abilities, all the powers of wealth, beauty, wit, and science, to the wanton pleasures, the capricious will, and the execrable cruelty of one or a very few.” John Adams
John Adams’ words are almost prophetic. Democracy can be described as a large, beautiful sailboat with massive sails and no rudder. A constitutional republic provides that rudder. What we see plays out before us, devolving into mob rule or pure democracy. The winds of emotion govern the course of a rudderless ship. People voted for or against Trump based on whether they liked him, not a liking based on policy, but on appearance.
Missouri Eagle Forum 